Hemlock Poem by June Walker

Head and shoulders above rat's umbrellas
beside the canal. Taller than dock plants,
flourishes hemlock, poisoner,
sister to laburnum and foxglove.
We may not know it as the killer of Socrates,
(who played the fool once too often) ,
but all Scots children learn that this big smelly plant
is dog's flourish (dog's pee on it) ,
so we don't gather it to fill our posies
of wild flowers.
We pick hawthorn or gowan
instead.